Passengers, industry to benefit from historic collaboration

17 Dec 2019

A new initiative set to deliver efficiencies worth $40 million for the aviation industry is a major step closer thanks to an historic agreement between Airservices Australia and the country’s largest airports and airlines.

In partnership with the Qantas Group, Virgin Australia Group, Alliance Airlines and each of the four largest airport corporations, Airservices is establishing Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) at Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth Airports.

This new capability aims to reduce waiting times for departing planes on taxiways in peak periods by sharing precise information with everyone involved in preparing an aircraft for a flight.

Airservices ATM Network Services Manager Paddy Goodall said this new joint initiative from Airservices, airlines and airports shows the strong commitment from industry to optimise operations.

“The aviation industry has recognised that optimising the network and providing a seamless passenger experience cannot be achieved by each company or organisation working in isolation,” Mr Goodall said.

This program shows we can all work together to achieve better outcomes for the travelling public and to reduce carbon emissions.”

Sydney Airport Operations General Manager Matt Duffy said the program is a significant step forward for Australian aviation.

“Sydney Airport is proud to support this program which represents the collective desire of the aviation industry to constantly evolve and improve for the benefit of all our customers and stakeholders,” Mr Duffy said.

Airservices modelling shows that $40 million can be saved by airlines over nine years on fuel, maintenance and carbon emissions with a 7 percent reduction in departure waiting times during peak periods.

Real time data exchange between air traffic control, network operations, airport operators and ground handlers is at the heart of how A-CDM works.

This means information about aircraft arrival, turn-around and departure times can be used to improve operational efficiency at airports and reduce delays.

A-CDM will also enable airport and airline staff deliver more accurate information for passengers.

Airservices has engaged Saab to implement a cloud-based platform to provide this capability with the platform to be in place mid-2020 for the airlines and airports connections.